If New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram's comments on Friday were any indication, he could be back on the field soon.

Ingram hasn't played since sustaining an injury to his right big toe in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And he was a rare sight on the practice field until Week 5, when he returned in a limited capacity.

Not much changed in that regard coming out of the bye week. Ingram missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, and again was limited Friday. Later in the day, he cheerfully said he's starting to feel back to normal.

"I felt real good, the best I've felt since having the injury," Ingram said. "It just felt good to be out there running around with teammates."

But the last time Ingram played was particularly rough.

Ingram was handed the ball twice at the Buccaneers' 1-yard line near the end of the first half. He lost yardage on one carry and was held for no gain on the other during Tampa Bay's goal-line stand.

Ingram had only two carries in the second half of the 16-14 victory over the Bucs and has not played since, causing trade rumors to swirl.

Saints coach Sean Payton said Ingram has been handling the injury situation well.

"He has been upbeat this week," Payton said. "I thought he has turned the corner. He has handled it well. When you're a running back or certain positions, you're going to have some injuries, you're going to have some of those things that keep you from being full speed and I think he understands that."

Ingram is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills, and he said it'll be a wait-and-see approach.

"I practiced Monday, practiced today," Ingram said. "I feel like I'm finally getting over that hump. We'll just see how it is in the morning (Saturday) and go from there."

The injury has been frustrating for the third-year running back, who said he finally felt healthy coming into the offseason. Ingram has dealt with various toe and heel injuries during his NFL career.

"It's nothing like the last one," he said. "The last one (turf toe in 2012) required surgery."

Ingram admitted he used to scoff at the idea of NFL players sitting out with toe injuries. Until it happened to him.

"That big toe will sit you down. You can do all the work you want in the upper and lower body, and if you don't have your toe ... it's everything," he said. "You can't walk if your big toe hurts. ...

"Ever since I've had toe problems, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

Anybody?

"Maybe someone from Auburn," the former Alabama star joked.

Brotherly love? The New England Patriots were penalized last Sunday for an illegal pushing play during a New York Jets field-goal attempt, one they had used against the Saints the prior week.

Reports later circulated the Jets had tipped off the officials about the play.

But that tip didn't come from Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, he said Friday.

Ryan, who is the brother of Jets coach Rex Ryan, dismissed the idea that he told his brother about it.

"Oh yeah, that's great," he said. "No. Absolutely not. I had nothing to do with that. I never saw it on the field, that was a special teams play. I was trying to get our guys ready."

Quotable: "We really just plagiarized Andy Reid's schedule." -- Payton on a talk he had with then-Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid about how to handle the bye week. Reid, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, is 13-1 after a bye.

Quotable 2: "I think you go into a game plan knowing what you want to do and what you can do. We had a plan. We knew New England was going to do that. We know these guys (Bills) are going to do that. We definitely have a plan for that. I know you're saying after the New England first few series, you were thinking, 'That's great. Custer had a plan.' But we have a plan, and it's good." -- Ryan facin hurry-up offenses.